From Ghevar to Malpua: 5 easy Teej sweets you can make at home

The saree may be ready, the mehendi may be drying and the bangles may already be making an appearance, but what's a Teej celebration without dessert? If you're planning a small celebration at home, these 5 sweets are worth adding to the menu .

Ghevar

Ingredients

For the ghevar

• 1 cup maida
• ¼ cup ghee
• 3 to 4 cups ice-cold water
• 2 tbsp milk
• Ghee or neutral oil, for deep-frying

For the sugar syrup

• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup water
• 2 to 3 green cardamom pods

For serving

• Rabri
• Chopped pistachios and almonds
• Saffron strands, optional
• Rose petals, optional

Method

Whisk the ghee until light. Add the maida gradually, mixing well. Slowly add the ice-cold water while whisking until you have a very thin, smooth batter. Add the milk and mix again.

Use a deep, heavy-bottomed pan and fill it enough ghee for deep-frying. The fat should be very hot before you start. Keep the batter chilled while the ghee heats.

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Take a small ladleful of batter and pour it slowly into the centre of the hot ghee from a little height. The batter will spread and form bubbles. Wait for the bubbling to settle slightly, then make another pour through the centre.

Continue adding small amounts of batter at intervals. Don't pour too much at once, as this can make the ghevar dense instead of lacy.

Once you have added enough batter and the ghevar has formed its characteristic web-like shape, use a skewer or the back of a spoon to keep the centre open.

Let it fry until the ghevar is crisp and golden. Carefully remove it and place it on a wire rack or absorbent paper to drain excess fat.

Heat the sugar and water together until the sugar dissolves and the syrup becomes slightly sticky. You don't need a very thick syrup.

Drizzle or lightly dip the cooled ghevar in the sugar syrup. Top with rabri, nuts and saffron if you like. Let the ghevar drain well before adding syrup or rabri.

Malpua

Ingredients

For the malpua

• 1 cup maida
• 2 tbsp semolina (sooji)
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup water, or as needed
• 2 tbsp sugar
• ½ tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
• 2 to 3 cardamom pods, powdered
• A pinch of salt
• Ghee, for frying

For the sugar syrup

• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup water
• 2 green cardamom pods
• A few saffron strands, optional

For serving

• Rabri, optional
• Chopped pistachios or almonds
• Saffron strands

Method

Mix the maida, sooji, sugar, fennel seeds, cardamom and salt in a bowl. Add the milk and water gradually, whisking until you have a smooth, lump-free batter. It should be slightly thicker than a pancake batter but still easy to pour.

Cover the batter and leave it to rest for about 20 to 30 minutes. Give it another good stir before frying.

Add sugar and water to a saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves. Add cardamom and saffron if using. Simmer until you have a light, sticky syrup. Keep it warm.

Heat a little ghee in a shallow frying pan over medium heat. You don't need to completely submerge the malpua. Pour a small ladleful of batter into the centre of the pan. Let it spread naturally into a small round. Cook until the underside turns golden, then carefully flip and cook the other side.

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Once golden and cooked through, lift the malpua out and drain briefly. Place it in the warm sugar syrup for around 30 seconds to a minute, turning once so both sides absorb some syrup.

Remove from the syrup and serve warm with rabri. Finish with chopped pistachios, almonds or a few saffron strands.

Mawa Gujiya

Ingredients

For the outer covering

• 2 cups maida
• 4 tbsp ghee
• About ½ cup water, or as needed
• A pinch of salt

For the filling

• 1 cup mawa/khoya, crumbled
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ¼ cup chopped almonds
• ¼ cup chopped pistachios
• 2 tbsp desiccated coconut, optional
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• 1 tbsp raisins, optional

For frying

• Ghee or neutral oil, as needed

For the sugar syrup, optional

• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup water
• 2 cardamom pods

Method

Add maida and salt to a bowl. Rub the ghee into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs and holds together when pressed. Add water little by little and knead into a firm dough. Cover and let it rest for about 20 to 30 minutes.

Heat a pan on low and add the crumbled mawa. Cook, stirring regularly, until it softens and the excess moisture cooks away. Don't let it brown.

Take it off the heat and allow it to cool completely. Once the mawa has cooled, mix in the powdered sugar, almonds, pistachios, coconut, cardamom and raisins. Make sure the mixture isn't warm when you add the sugar, otherwise the filling can become watery.

Divide the dough into small balls. Roll each one into a thin circle. Place a spoonful of filling on one half, leaving some space around the edges.

Moisten the edge with a little water, fold the dough over the filling and press the edges firmly to seal. You can crimp the edges with your fingers or use a gujiya mould for a neater finish.

Heat ghee or oil over medium-low heat. Fry the gujiyas in batches, turning them occasionally, until they are evenly golden and crisp. Avoid cooking them over high heat, as the outside can brown before the pastry becomes properly crisp. Transfer the gujiyas to a plate lined with kitchen paper. You can serve them as they are or dip them briefly in a light sugar syrup for a sweeter, glossy finish. You can finish the gujiya with chopped pistachios, almonds and a few saffron strands for a festive touch.

Makhana Kheer

Ingredients

• 1 cup fox nuts / makhana
• 3 cups full-fat milk
• 2 tsp ghee
• 4 to 5 tbsp sugar, or according to taste
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• 2 tbsp chopped almonds
• 2 tbsp chopped pistachios
• A few saffron strands, optional
• ¼ cup cashews, optional

Method

Heat ghee in a pan and add the makhana. Roast over low to medium heat until they become crisp and lightly golden. This usually takes a few minutes. Remove from the heat and let them cool.

Keep about a quarter of the roasted makhana whole. Lightly crush or grind the rest. You don't need to turn it into a completely smooth powder.

Pour the milk into a heavy-bottomed pan and bring it to a gentle boil. Lower the heat and let it simmer, stirring from time to time so it doesn't stick to the bottom.

Stir the crushed makhana into the milk. Cook on low heat until the mixture starts to thicken and the makhana becomes soft. Add sugar and cardamom powder. Stir well and cook for a few more minutes. Stir in the remaining roasted makhana along with the chopped almonds and pistachios. If you're using saffron, add a few strands at this stage.

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Take the kheer off the heat once it reaches the consistency you like. You can serve it warm or let it cool and refrigerate it for a chilled dessert.

Bonus: Rabri

Ingredients

• 1 litre full-fat milk
• ¼ cup sugar, or according to taste
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• A few saffron strands, optional
• 2 tbsp chopped almonds
• 2 tbsp chopped pistachios
• 1 tbsp chopped cashews, optional

Method

Pour the full-fat milk into a heavy-bottomed, wide pan. Bring it to a boil over medium heat. Once the milk starts boiling, reduce the flame. Let it simmer gently. A layer of cream will gradually form on the surface. Carefully push the cream layer towards the sides of the pan. Let the milk continue simmering until another layer forms, then repeat. Don't stir the milk too much, as you want those creamy layers to remain intact. Continue this process until the milk has reduced considerably and become thick and creamy. A traditional rabri recipe reduces the milk to roughly one-third of its original volume.

Stir in the sugar, cardamom powder and saffron, if using. Gently mix, making sure to scrape the cream collected around the sides back into the milk. Mix in the chopped almonds, pistachios and cashews. Cook for another minute or two.

Transfer the rabri to a bowl and let it cool. It can be served warm or chilled.